Asana Jones buys ore from the “I Trust my Legs” galamsey operation and sells it to processors. She says on a good day she can make $35.00.

Driving outside Prestea, in western Ghana, you might wonder about the makeshift tents lining the roadside, or what the black grime on the ground is, or why there are so many women selling food in such a random-looking place.

But if you went to the area’s chief and got permission to enter the camp, you would see that it’s not a shanty-town but a profitable small business, run by local entrepreneurs.